[Shanette Peters]

Originally Posted by doggone6

It isn't the company (Petsmart) that is good or bad, it is the individual groomer. Grooming is an art, and as in any other field there will be talented groomers, acceptable groomers, and bad groomers. The best groomers will have waiting lists and will probably charge more per dog since they will insist on doing a GOOD job, rather than making money by volume. It's that old "quality vs. quantity" thing.

Just the facts.

I'm sorry if I am reading your reply wrong but, the waiting list thing and the price thing I don't think falls under whether or not the groomer is best you can get. I know I do a good job but i don't charge an arm n a leg for the work I do either. I don't have a waiting list, I'm in this line of work for the well being of the animals I groom not for the $ i can make. I think it depends on the area you are in, I live in a small city, yet besides me there are 2 other grooming places. Then in larger cities they surely have more. Like Edmonton, you'll find some groomers can get you in right away and others have a list, that doesn't really mean the one's with the list are the best, yet the ones that don't might be pricey. This is deffinately one topic that has a lot of varying. Your first sentence was well put, "It isn't the company...it is the individual groomer".

[muzz]

just keep in mind that what you see in the window may be an altered reality, I am salon manager at a certain box store salon, and while I have been there 10 years we have have had a few people hired, who did not work out. all of the girls in my salon are dog lovers, but sometimes when you have a dog/puppy being rowdy on the table it may appear that someone is being "aggressive" or that they are "man handeling" a dog to get control so to speak of what is going on.

I personally hate the windows, I do alot of cat grooming and people watchng just dont understand what they are seeing...so many people come in accusing me of being cruel for shaving cats or for shaving down a severely matted dog, like im the one that doesnt brush regularly or whatever.

Research where you are going, stop in and watch and just remember the big box stores may have bad reputations because of things that are seen that may not be a clear picture

Every salon is different but i have seen so many negative posts about the big box stores, but they do have regulated safety practices to be followed, and the dogs need to be fully vaccinated for the safety of all dogs.......just go in and watch with your own eyes....you may be surprised, and if your dog is well brushed and in good condition you could get the haircut of your dreams.....if you can find photos of what you would like done that would help alot.......good luck

[jesirose]

I am usually really happy with PetSmart but when I went in to try to talk to their grooming place, the 'kid' behind the counter was absolutely rude, I walked out and am calling the manager. I wanted to know what sort of things they did, and get some info, since this is my first dog and I don't know what grooming is done, and all the kid would tell me is "$50 for a haircut". Well what is a haircut? They were shaving some dogs, and mine should NOT be shaved. I was so annoyed.

I tend to stay away from PetCo, at least the ones here. The staff are always rude, the selection sucks and their prices are too high. The only staff member there who was ever nice to me told me 'don't buy this item here, go to X other store and get this other item.' Plus they sell their rats by size, which is what people who buy them to feed to snakes want, and I do not want to support that. There are only two actual sizes of rats and you are not going to find dwarf rats at PetCo.

[oldpelican]

We've taken several dogs over several years to Petsmart for grooming. We have been satisfied up until now. The other dogs we had were Springer Spaniels- 2 of them. We even got our Golden Retriever a "summer cut" because she seemed so hot and she looked adorable, but fat. Now, after a few years without a dog, we have a cockapoo who seems to be suddenly matted around his neck overnight. I can comb them out even though it takes hours, but they have to shave the dog down to the skin all over his whole body except his face because he has matting around his neck. I even asked them to leave his neck alone and i will do it myself, just don't shave him. They shaved him anyway because that is their "rule". But they left him with a beard similar to Fidel Castro's! I'm looking for a new groomer now because it's that time again.
My answer would be ... part of the time.

[animalcraker]

Originally Posted by oldpelican

Now, after a few years without a dog, we have a cockapoo who seems to be suddenly matted around his neck overnight. I can comb them out even though it takes hours, but they have to shave the dog down to the skin all over his whole body except his face because he has matting around his neck. I even asked them to leave his neck alone and i will do it myself, just don't shave him. They shaved him anyway because that is their "rule".

The reason they shave is because you should not wash a matted dog. The water causes the hair to shrink and makes the mat worse, potentialy causeing serious health problems. Even the best of groomers would probly have difficulty bathing part of a dog and trying to ensure they get all the soap out without getting the mat wet. If you're capable of getting the mat out on your own then I would sugest you do that before you bring him in to be groomed. If they have a mat free dog to start with then there should be no reason to shave.

Your other option would be to find a really good profesional groomer that will brush out all the mats before bathing, but that is going to cost more then a petsmart groom.

[Purplex15]

Originally Posted by oldpelican

We've taken several dogs over several years to Petsmart for grooming. We have been satisfied up until now. The other dogs we had were Springer Spaniels- 2 of them. We even got our Golden Retriever a "summer cut" because she seemed so hot and she looked adorable, but fat. Now, after a few years without a dog, we have a cockapoo who seems to be suddenly matted around his neck overnight. I can comb them out even though it takes hours, but they have to shave the dog down to the skin all over his whole body except his face because he has matting around his neck. I even asked them to leave his neck alone and i will do it myself, just don't shave him. They shaved him anyway because that is their "rule". But they left him with a beard similar to Fidel Castro's! I'm looking for a new groomer now because it's that time again.
My answer would be ... part of the time.

first of all, matts do not come over night. and asking a groomer to leave matts alone is out of the question. it is a rule, that if a dog cannot be done for whatever reason, the groomer does not have to do the dog. the reason could be the dog has matts and the owner wouldnt let me take them out, or shave them out. i dont know why it is such a big deal, you didnt brush your dog, so it got matted and needed to be shaved. that is not the groomers fault. a cockapoo is much more high maintanace than springers or goldens, in terms of matting, so you should be doing a lot more work to ensure your dog doesnt matt. im sorry to sound harsh, but you are blaming the wrong person for your dogs grooming experiance.

"The reason they shave is because you should not wash a matted dog. The water causes the hair to shrink and makes the mat worse, potentialy causeing serious health problems. Even the best of groomers would probly have difficulty bathing part of a dog and trying to ensure they get all the soap out without getting the mat wet. If you're capable of getting the mat out on your own then I would sugest you do that before you bring him in to be groomed. If they have a mat free dog to start with then there should be no reason to shave"

you are right if the dog is completely pelted and the coat is in one peice. however, you can get a lot of matts out by bathing the dog first, working in conditioner on troublespots, and the blow drying the dog. the blow dryer will blow the matts away from the skin, then the matts can be carefully worked with and should come out. many groomers also use a technique called wet shaving where you bath the dog and then shave the dog while it is still wet. but you are also right in that this should not be done unless the whole dog is being done. in regards to pelican, you would have ended up with a more matted dog is they had done what you ask. you really should thank them

[Graco22]

I agree with Purplex. Many "loose" matts can be loosened and brushed out by using the correct bathing techniques and dryers/drying techniques. However, I also agree with animalcracker in that the dog should not be washed, dried and matts left in it regardless. If they don't loosen up to be brushed out after the bath, then they need to be clipped off. I, as a PROFESSIONAL, entrusted to safely and humanely style peoples beloved pets, will not torture an animal with dematting for vanity's sake. Its hair, and it grows back. I will NOT leave matts in an animal. I send matted dogs home with their owners when they drop them off for their appt if I do not have permission to do whatever is necessary to get the dog in a healthy state of coat. If the owner wants to try to brush them out at home and reschedule, that is great. I will do whatever haircut they want when the dog is matt free..guess how many owners actually do that? For a dog that has trouble matting around the neck, and wears a collar, I find the rolled leather collars to cause MUCH less matting than the standard flat nylon collars. The wider the nylon, the more the matting. Rolled leather is the best to help lessen the matting.

[poodleholic]

Really, the best way to find out if a groomer at PetSmart is good, is to observe them! Easy to do since their wall is all glass (at least in the local stores I've gone into).

[kolp]

I took my pup to PetSmart yesterday, and was extremely pleased with the results. I will most likely take him there again.

[erway]

All locations will be different and will have different groomers working there. That being said, I took my min dacshund to Petsmart to be groomed once. He was so traumatized, he hid underneath the chair for the rest of the day. I don't know what they did to him, but I never took him back there. I go to a local groomer now and he loves it. I would ask people around you and find what their experiences have been. I've heard that Petco also does a really good job, but I haven't tried them.

[sweetmazzy]

I have a bichon poo and a golden retriever. Petsmart always does a fabulous job with both of my dogs. My golden always looks so shiny, handsome and clean. My bichon poo always looks so glamorous after going to petsmart. My dogs have never been mistreated or had cuts/ injuries from grooming. The staff is friendly and courteous enough.

I've done Petco, while I like the staff and they treat my dogs well, I think that the Petsmart in my neighborhood does a better job than petco. Petco lacks the va va voom result for some reason.